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The National
2 days ago
- Politics
- The National
Houthis parade missing crew of Eternity C cargo ship after sinking it in Red Sea
Yemen 's Houthis released footage on Monday of missing crew members from a cargo ship the rebels sank three weeks ago, saying 11 sailors had been 'rescued'. Many of the Eternity C 's crew were unaccounted for after the Houthis attacked the ship in the Red Sea, where the group has declared a 'blockade' in solidarity with the Palestinian cause. Several are believed dead. The Houthis said on Monday that the Liberia-flagged ship had been heading for the Israeli port of Eilat – a day after announcing their attacks would now extend to all companies 'dealing with Israeli ports'. The US has condemned what it called the kidnapping of the surviving crew members. Houthi naval forces were 'able to rescue 11 of the ship's crew at sea, including two wounded who were provided with medical care', the group said in a statement carried by the news agency Saba. It said the ship was sunk on June 9 'as a result of violating the naval embargo against the enemy entity', meaning Israel. It said one person was found dead onboard the Eternity C before it sank, and that their body was taken to a hospital morgue. Three to four people have previously been reported dead. The Houthi video appeared to be showing the moment the mostly Filipino crew were pulled from the sea wearing life jackets, although the footage was taken at night and the ship sank during the daytime. The captive crew members were shown saying the ship was heading for Eilat, and said at the end: 'We are sorry, Palestinians.' It wasn't clear if they were speaking under duress. One man the Houthis said was an electrician was shown lying in bed and speaking in English. An EU naval force had said a Russian electrician onboard the ship lost his leg. The attack on the Eternity C came a day after the Houthis sank another cargo ship, the Magic Seas. On that occasion a UAE rescue mission brought all 22 crew members to safety. Human Rights Watch has condemned the attacks as a breach of the laws of war. 'The Houthis have sought to justify unlawful attacks by pointing to Israeli violations against Palestinians,' Niku Jafarnia, a researcher on Yemen and Bahrain for the organisation, said last week. 'The Houthis should end all attacks on ships not taking part in the conflict and immediately release the crew members in their custody,' she said. The Houthis announced on Sunday that they had 'decided to escalate their military support operations' into what they called a fourth phase, extending their attacks to all companies dealing with Israel's ports. Vessels may be attacked regardless of their destination, they added. The attacks on Red Sea vessels have damaged trade in one of the world's most important shipping lanes. Operators have taken longer routes around the southern tip of Africa, adding to costs and delaying journeys.
New York Times
10-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Four More Rescued in Red Sea, as Houthis Vow to Keep Up Attacks
Four more crew members of a cargo ship sunk earlier this week by Yemen's Houthi militia were rescued in the Red Sea overnight on Wednesday, the European Union's maritime security mission said, as a Houthi leader vowed to keep up the group's campaign against shipping in support of the Palestinian cause. Three Filipino crew members and a Greek security guard from the ship, the Eternity C, were 'recovered from the sea' on Wednesday night and Thursday morning, the European mission, Operation Aspides, announced on X, bringing the total number rescued so far to 10. About a dozen remain missing. The Eternity C is the second vessel the Houthis have sunk this week, a sharp escalation in their 20-month campaign against ships in the waters off Yemen. On Sunday, the Houthis had attacked another cargo vessel, the Magic Seas, forcing its crew to abandon ship. The attacks, which the group says are in solidarity with Palestinians living through Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza, ended months of relative calm in the Red Sea. They have also cast doubt on a truce President Trump announced in May, which he said would restore freedom of navigation along the critical shipping route that includes the Suez Canal. Liberian officials said at least two people were killed when the Eternity C, a Liberian-flagged vessel, was attacked on Monday by several small boats. The Houthi militants released a highly edited video overlaid with dramatic music on Wednesday showing the ship sinking into the sea, though it was unclear precisely when it went down. The video showed how the Houthis had struck the ship with an unmanned boat and six cruise and ballistic missiles before it sank. The group also claimed to have rescued 'a number of the ship's crew' and transferred them to 'a safe location.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The Independent
10-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Four crew members killed as Houthi rebels sink cargo ship in Red Sea
At least four people have been killed and several others have been kidnapped by Houthi militants who attacked and sank a second cargo ship in the Red Sea this week. Six crew members were rescued after spending more than 24 hours in the water, security companies involved in a rescue operation said, while the fate of 15 other crew members remains unknown. "We will continue to search for the remaining crew until the last light," said an official at Greece-based maritime risk management firm Diaplous. The Iran -aligned Houthis said they are holding some of the seafarers, and claimed responsibility for the attacks on cargo ship Eternity C. Eternity C was first attacked on Monday afternoon with sea drones and rocket-propelled grenades fired from speed boats by suspected Houthi militants, maritime security sources said. Lifeboats were destroyed during the raid. By Tuesday morning the vessel was adrift and listing, before being attacked again which forced the crew to abandon it. The ship sank on Wednesday morning. The United States Mission in Yemen accused the Houthis of kidnapping many surviving crew members from Eternity C and called for their immediate and unconditional safe release. 'After killing their shipmates, sinking their ship, and hampering rescue efforts, the Houthi terrorists have kidnapped many surviving crew members of the Eternity C,' the mission said on X. 'The Houthis continue to show the world why the United States was right to label them a terrorist organisation.' The crew comprised of 21 Filipinos and one Russian. Three armed guards were also on board, including one Greek national and one Indian national, who was one of those rescued. The Houthis released a video they said depicted their attack on Eternity C. It included sound of a Yemen naval forces' call for the crew to evacuate for rescue and showed explosions on the ship before it sank. The Independent could not verify the audio or the location of the ship. "The Yemeni Navy responded to rescue a number of the ship's crew, provide them with medical care, and transport them to a safe location," the group's military spokesperson said in a televised address. The Houthis also have claimed responsibility for a similar assault on Sunday targeting another ship, the Magic Seas. All crew from the Magic Seas were rescued before it sank. The strikes on the two ships revive a campaign by the Iran-aligned fighters who had attacked more than 100 ships from November 2023 to December 2024 in what they said was solidarity with the Palestinians. In May, the US announced a surprise deal with the Houthis where it agreed to stop a bombing campaign against them in return for an end to shipping attacks, though the Houthis said the deal did not include sparing Israel. Leading shipping industry associations, including the International Chamber of Shipping and BIMCO, denounced the deadly operation and called for robust maritime security in the region via a joint statement on Wednesday. "These vessels have been attacked with callous disregard for the lives of innocent civilian seafarers," they said. "This tragedy illuminates the need for nations to maintain robust support in protecting shipping and vital sea lanes."
